I'm hoping to do about a week in the Shenandoah NP area of the trail. My idea is to use both a vehicle and bicycle to "hopscotch" along the Parkway in a series of what amount to "day hikes". My plan is to 1) Drive the Parkway and locate a safe place to leave the car. 2) Continue up the Pkwy a "days hiking distance" - say 8-15 trail miles - and find a spot where the AT crosses the Pkwy. 3) Conceal/secure the bicycle nearby. 4) Drive back to my "start" point for the day and park/lock the car. 5) With my day pack and gear, hike the AT to the point I left the bicycle. 6) Hop on the bike, pedal down the Pkwy, return to the car and set up camp for the night. Next day, repeat.
The advantages I think in this system are 1) only have to carry a day pack 2) don't need shuttle service 3) don't need to carry a week's worth of food, supplies etc. 4) still get to do what for me is a good portion of the AT.
Has anyone else tried this? Anything I'm missing in my general plan? Comments?